Mass Media and Popular Culture
COMM 340 :: Fall, 2004
Professor: Dr. Jeffrey Jones
Office: BAL 614
Office Phone: 683-6267
E-mail: jpjones@odu.edu
Office Hours: TR, 11-12 & 1:30-3:00, and by appointment.
Class:
TR 8:00-9:15 a.m., Constant Hall 1042
Course Overview:
Culture, broadly defined,
is the web of meanings through which we structure our relations to the world
around us and often to ourselves. It
shapes how we understand reality and the sense we make of our world. Popular
culture, then, is the meanings that gain great currency in society, meanings
often formulated and attended to as media commodities. Indeed, popular culture, many scholars argue,
has become mass culture, in which “cultural” items—fashion, music, movies,
toys, celebrities, etc.—are mass-produced by large media and entertainment
conglomerates. Cultural commodities
increasingly drive our economy (one of our leading exports and central to the
“new economy”), but they also become primary organizing practices of American
lifestyles centered on consumption.
This course will examine
popular culture as a process and a commodity.
As we will see, popular culture is a site through which dominant values
and beliefs are established and maintained, but also through which those values
or worldviews can be contested and subverted.
It becomes a site through which identities are shaped and through which
people find meaning in their lives. It
also provides narratives, myths, and rituals important to understanding who we
are as individuals and as a society.
But who we are is also
what we have become. To narrow the
focus, this class examines the historical emergence of “youth culture” from the
post-war period to the present. As the
youth market has become a primary focus of the film, television, music, and
fashion industries, it is important that we understand how we arrived at this
point. Representations of race, gender,
class, and sexuality are also examined for the role that popular culture plays
in shaping identity. We conclude our
investigations with a look at the role popular culture plays in the ritual
performance of violence.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1.
Viewing
Critiques: You will watch a film and a TV show outside
of class (available on video or DVD for check-out and viewing in the library
only) and write a 3-page critique (double-spaced, one-inch margins,
Times Roman font) of the film/program.
The videos are American Graffiti
and Roots (tapes 1 & 2). The
critique is due the day it is listed on
the syllabus, Sept. 16 and Oct. 5. Your critiques will provide the base from
which class discussions will build. A
model for what a viewing critique encompasses will be done in class on the
third day as we discuss a film that we will watch in class, The Wild One.
Pointers for writing good critical analysis (e.g. your grade will be
based on how successfully you accomplish the following):
a. Do not be overly descriptive of scenes, the plot, actions, etc. That is, don’t retell the story. Assume your reader knows the story already.
b.
Don’t make
claims about the audience. Stick with
the larger meanings within the text (that is, what the text is saying).
c.
Analysis
involves picking apart and scrutinizing for deeper meaning. Therefore, focus on the central dilemmas that
each of the main characters face, and why these dilemmas are central to the
meaning of the story. Also pay attention
to the symbolism in the various filmic shots.
Remember: meaning is established both visually and aurally.
d.
The critique
should also consider discussing
any pertinent issues raised in the reading for that day.
e.
See “Writing
Basics” below
2.
Mid-Term: The test will be comprised of multiple choice and an
essay question.
3.
Fan Culture
on the Web: Given the issues discussed in the Doss reading (Elvis Culture) and the documentary Trekkies,
you are to find, explore, and evaluate a fan site on the Internet. You may choose any site or sites that is
dedicated to intense fandom of some cultural object (a TV show, a celebrity or
star, a band, etc.), but it must be created by a fan, not the star or object
themselves. That is to say, it should
NOT be the official website, but one created by someone not directly connected
to the commercial aspect of the star/object.
Remember that you are studying the fan behavior itself, not the
star/object. Briefly describe what is offered there, but most
of your paper should be an analysis
of fan issues in similar fashion to that which the class did in regards to
Elvis and Star Trek fans. You should also refer to those two works in
your paper when appropriate. This is a 5-page
paper, and you should include the location (or URL) of the web site in your
paper. Due date is Tuesday, November
2.
4.
Final
Exam: The test will cover the second half of the course, and will consist of
multiple choice and an essay question.
5.
Class Participation:
This class is not a lecture class, though you
should take notes for the two tests.
Rather, I employ a mild version of the Socratic method. That is, the discussion is directed toward
points that shed greater light on the truth, as well as situate our study in
the greater body of knowledge we have about the world. Such a method is greatly dependent on your
coming to class prepared. Preparation
means more than simply having read the material. It means that you have reviewed the material,
considered what it means, perhaps have even written some notes or important
points, and come to class ready to engage both your professor and your
peers. Our working through these texts,
however, will be based on more than simply how you feel about them or your opinion about the issue under
scrutiny. You should offer precise,
articulate, informed and thoughtful comments.
Your participation grade will be based on how well you have achieved
this goal, not simply how much you talk in class. Your participation grade is 15% of the
overall score, and is measured by 1) class attendance, 2) verbal comments that
reference the reading, and 3) engagement with your professor’s and fellow students’
arguments. Your class participation
score can be augmented by engaging in class discussion on Blackboard.
Evaluation:
Viewing Critiques 20%
Mid-Term Exam 20%
Fan Site Analysis 25%
Final Exam 20%
Class Participation 15%
Class Policies
Attendance:
I take attendance for use
in your participation grade. Excused
absences include only the following:
·
Illness that
requires medical treatment (must provided written documentation from a doctor)
·
Death in
immediate family (must provide obituary)
·
Official
college sponsored activity (must provide note from college personnel)
Documentation of the
absence must be provided on the first class meeting after your return. In other words, I need some piece of paper to prove the
legitimacy of your absence. It is best
to contact me prior to the
absence.
E-mail account activation
As a participant in this
class, you are required to have an active ODU e-mail account. This is important for class communication, as
well as required for you to access Blackboard and to fill out the teaching
evaluations at the end of the semester.
Student Evaluations of Teaching
As a participant in this class, you
are required to fill out a student evaluation of teaching performance on-line
at the end of the semester.
Paper Submission and Late Papers:
Papers are due at the beginning of class (as they are designed to help
you formulate your ideas prior to class discussion). Papers will be deducted one letter grade per
calendar day (note:
calendar day, not class day). Papers over 5
calendar days late will not be accepted under any
circumstances. I do not
accept papers via E-mail. You are responsible for printing your work
yourself.
Blackboard Readings
A substantial amount of reading is
posted in .pdf files (readable with Adobe Acrobat) in Blackboard
(http://www.clt.odu.edu/bb/index.php?src=sh_index). If your computer does not have Adobe (most
do), it can be downloaded for free at
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Student Progress and
Withdrawing from the Class
The
last day to drop this class is Tuesday, October 26. Grades for your mid-term and at least one
viewing critique will be given prior to that date, so please make an informed
decision about continuance by that date.
Students with
Disabilities
Reasonable accommodations
are provided for students with disabilities.
Students should present me with the appropriate documentation from the
Office of Disability Services and contact me as soon as possible to discuss the
appropriate accommodations.
The Office of Student
Judicial Affairs has published a guide on College Classroom Conduct. In short, you should refrain from:
·
arriving late!
·
conversing
during a lecture
·
answering a
cell phone (or allowing it to ring by not turning it off)
·
leaving
without permission; packing to leave before class is finished
·
eating in
class
·
sleeping or
studying unrelated materials in class
·
surfing the
net or instant messaging
Grades:
The following grade scale
applies to all written work:
A
= 95, A- = 92, A-/B+ = 90, B+ = 88, etc.
If you would like to
discuss how to improve your grades, please come see me during office hours
(I don’t discuss graded work in the hallway or after class). I also require a 24-hour pause or
moratorium between the time you receive a grade and when I am willing to
discuss it with you.
Remember to include or
address the following items. Failure to
address these will result in grade deductions.
It is highly recommended
that you ask someone to edit your
writing prior to submission. Every
article, book, news story, etc., that you see in print is the product of
several sets of eyes. Students should
develop the habit of having someone mark their papers for grammatical errors or
awkward syntax and phrasing. Learn to
give and take criticism productively.
Plagiarism is one example
of violating copyright law. Furthermore,
there are no acceptable instances in written language of using someone else’s
words with quotation marks. If you
plagiarize, you will receive a hearing through the judicial affairs division of
the Office of Student Services. More
likely than not, you will be suspended or expelled in addition to receiving the
grade of F. It is my belief that at
least half of student plagiarism cases occur because students do not know what
it is or how to avoid it. Please see the
handout, and take it upon yourself to learn the proper means of citing someone
else’s words and ideas.
Schedule
and Readings:
Required Materials:
Books are available in the ODU bookstore and through on-line book vendors. If you chose not to purchase the books, they
are available at the reserve desk of the library for two-hour checkout (but
beware of the stiff fines for tardy returns.)
1.
Doss,
Erika. 1999. Elvis Culture: Fans, Faith & Image. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press.
2.
Douglas,
Susan. 1994. Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female
with the Mass Media. New York: Times
Books.
Blackboard Reading: Gitlin
(from The Sixites): “Cornucopia
and Its Discontents,” pp.11-30
T 09/07
– Representing Youth Culture
In-class viewing of The Wild One
Blackboard Reading: Gitlin (from The Sixties): “Underground Channels,” pp. 31-44
Discuss: The
Wild One questions
Blackboard Reading:
Douglas (from Listening In): “The
Kids Take Over”
T 09/21–
Women, Identity, and Pop Culture
Read: Douglas, Where the Girls Are, Chs.:
Intro, 1-2
Read: Douglas, Where the Girls Are, Chs. 3-6
Read: Douglas, Where the Girls Are, Chs. 7-10
Blackboard Readings: Adler (from All in the
Family): New York Times
exchange between Laura Hobson and Norman Mailer, pp. 97-111 (“As I listened to
Archie say ‘Hebe…’”). Caryn James article on television from the New York Times
T 10/05— Television
and Race: Representation
Blackboard Reading: O’Conner (ed.) (from American
History American Television):
“Roots: Docudrama and the Interpretation of History,” pp. 279-305 (by L.
Fishbein).
**Viewing
Critique of Roots due
TH 10/07 –
Mid-Term Exam
Read: Doss, Elvis Culture, pp. 115-211
No reading
In-class Viewing:
Trekkies
***Please
Note: Tuesday, October 26 is the last
day to withdraw from this class
TH 10/28
– Representing Homosexuality
No reading
In-class Viewing: The Celluloid Closet
T 11/02 – Representing Homosexuality
In-class Viewing: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
**Fan Paper Assignment
Due**
Blackboard Reading: Gibson (from Warrior Dreams: Violence and
Manhood in Post-Vietnam America), Introduction & Chs. 1-2
T 11/09
– Violence in Film, TV, and Video Games
Blackboard Reading: GoldStein, “Why We Watch”
TH 11/11
– The Mainstreaming of Pornography
Blackboard Reading: TBA
Blackboard Reading: Seiter
(from Sold Separately): “Toys ‘R’
Us”
No reading—In-Class
Viewing
Read: Boyd, Introduction
& Ch. 1
Read: Boyd. Ch. 2-3
TH 12/09 – Hip Hop Culture
Read: Boyd, Ch. 4 &
Epilogue
T 12/14— Final Exam @ 8:30 a.m. in Constant 1042